Fact and speculation on the function of immune response genes in antigen presentation.
Immune responsiveness of guinea pigs to dinitrophenyl-poly-L-lysine and to the lysine rich random co-polymer of L-glutamic acid and L-lysine are both controlled by a single gene, the 'poly-L-lysine gene'. This paper reviews recent experiments which demonstrate that these two antigens specifically compete with one another for being presented to T cells by the same antigen-presenting cells. This finding is interpreted to mean that antigens to which responsiveness is controlled by the same single gene compete for the Ir gene product of antigen-presenting cells. The review discusses if the products of the immune response genes-presumable the Ia antigens-may constitute a third specific antigen recognition system. It further speculates if this idea may help to provide insight into the phenomenon of histocompatibility-restriction and into the nature of the mixed leucocyte reaction.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000941:Antigens; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology*; D011107:Polylysine / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D010455:Peptides; D011107:Polylysine